NFF to blacklist, prosecute erring referees

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Melvin Amaju Pinnick has vowed to blacklist and prosecute erring referees when the country’s league season begins in March.

Disclosing this ahead of the NFF’s fourth board meeting slated to hold in Abuja on January 8, Amaju said: “If, after the trips to the United Kingdom to see how things are being done and being engaged in practicals out there, and after our plan to boost their remuneration, we still find elite referees wanting, such persons will not only be blacklisted, they will also be prosecuted.”

He reiterated that the capacity-enhancing programmes and exposure being given the elite referees now is to ultimately make them better arbiters, failing which they will be harshly dealt with.

It can be recalled that 17 highly–qualified persons, including renowned coaches and former international players, will also be in the United Kindgom for a three –week match reading and backroom analysis capacity–enhancing programme in a few weeks.

Pinnick warned that coaches and administrators who fail to identify swiftly with the new vision of doing things differently and in the interest of the nation’s football will be told in no uncertain terms to give way.

“What we intend to achieve at the end of the day, is in the interest of the coaches, the National Teams, the administrators, the referees and the game generally.

“Everyone who has the interest of the game at heart will easily key into these programmes. Those who will find it difficult are the people who have been used to impunity and have mortgaged the interest of our football for personal interest over the years. They will be thrown overboard without a second glance.

“I use this opportunity to call on all the stakeholders of the Nigeria game, including our vibrant media, to support the NFF as we move to arrest the decline and work hard to put Nigerian football on the road to an enviable destination.”